President's Page:IADC Pride: The Global Connection

Abstract

While attending the recent 2013 International Corporate Counsel College (ICCC) in Paris, I enjoyed a post-dinner conversation with ICCC attendees and colleagues in our host hotel. It was approaching midnight and the end of the night was drawing near, or so I thought. The time in Charleston was six hours behind the time in Paris, of course, so I began receiving text messages from my daughter regarding her social plans for the night. Thirty minutes and about thirty text messages later, we had solved all of the pending issues in her plans. Still, it struck me how instantly she and I were able to cure a host of competing issues from two separate continents six time zones apart. At times like this, the significance of the IADC's Global Connection becomes crystal clear. Today, with the help of instant communication, teleconferencing and enhanced travel options, the international legal landscape is interconnected and essentially flat. The IADC's international footprint now covers thirty-seven countries and is growing at a pace similar to that of international commerce in general. As time and communication continue to speed up, the IADC's Global Connection becomes a more vital part of our organization's culture and our individual legal practices. The 2013 ICCC in Paris demonstrated the growing influence of a world economy on our practices. Fifty-six attorneys hosted sixty-three in-house counsel from Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Italy, Norway, Australia, China, France, Turkey and the United States. Indeed, the total attendance at the 2013 ICCC of 146 represents our largest ICCC to date. Through the dedicated efforts and leadership of ICCC Director Emmanuele Lutfalla and the members of the Advisory Board, attendees of the ICCC benefited from exceptional quality programming. During the conference, attendees participated in two days of education and discussion on the latest legal issues and challenges affecting global companies. Presentations were of the highest caliber with prestigious speakers who shared their expertise on a variety of pertinent international issues. Additionally, we heard from the Chairman and Executive Director of the European Justice Forum, a representative of the U.S. Chamber, the U.S. representative for the German Chamber of Commerce and the Chair of the Autorite des Marches Financiers. In the words of Alexandre Lamoure, General Counsel for Ricoh, France: I was struck by the exceptional quality of all the speakers and attendees. In particular, I was impressed by the international aspect of the exchange. Furthermore, in my own position as General Counsel, I have always been drawn to defence and litigation counsel and their approach to legal matters within a business context. I admire their pragmatism. Christopher Gaenzle, Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel INC Research in Raleigh, North Carolina, noted: The 2013 ICCC was a robust event and provided not only the opportunity for in-house counsel to connect and share experiences with each other, it also provided a platform for outside counsel to directly hear from corporate counsel about their highest priorities for corporate legal departments. This is a true value-add program, all in a forum that promotes open conversation and connection directly between in-house counsel and also between in-house and outside counsel on significant areas of risk mitigation, compliance and litigation. As corporate counsel there are often too few opportunities to interact, but the ICCC is the exception. Today's complex and integrated world has made the ICCC a critical resource for international companies and their counsel. The 2014 ICCC will be organized by 2014 Director Alessandro Giorgetti and will be in Milan, Italy in November. I am confident those attending will benefit greatly. We continue to work diligently to broaden our reach around the world and to bring quality resources to our international membership. …